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Suzuki SX4 Crossover

Suzuki and Fiat, two global automobile majors, joined hands to create the SX4. The SX4 was unveiled during the 2006 Geneva Motor Show. It was greeted only with a mild applause, mostly because of the slew of compact cars produced in those years. Nevertheless, the SX4, including the Crossover variant, was lauded as the best offering from Suzuki’s line, as well as an excellent alternative when compared to several of its peers in the market.

Despite the decent popularity that the Crossover enjoyed over the past years, Suzuki remains dissatisfied with its own creation. The company is of the opinion that there are several such cars in the United States market, and the Crossover isn’t doing enough to get noticed in a very competitive crowd.

The Suzuki SX4 Crossover is a four-door hatchback that targets mostly American consumers. The car was introduced as an all-wheel drive vehicle. The feature had three modes. While the all-wheel-drive system itself could be configured to yield maximum fuel economy and traction, the all-wheel-drive auto is akin to many hybrid or crossover sport utility vehicles (SUVs) that can shunt power to the two rear wheels only on detecting a front-wheel slippage. The all-wheel-drive lock enables maintaining lower speeds while in mud or snow.

Suzuki SX4 Crossover Features

The 2012 Suzuki SX4 is available in two different configurations. While one version is the four-door sedan style, the other is the five-door hatchback, also known as the Crossover. Both cars are front-wheel-drive models, with all-wheel drive available in the hatchback model.

Both the Crossover and its twin version, the SX4 SportBack, have several internal features. There is an upright instrumentation panel in both of them. Both versions of the vehicle are also equipped with the standard 150 horsepower version of the company’s four-cylinder and 2.0-liter engine. The engine can be controlled by a six-speed manual gearbox or the continuous variable transmission mode of injection. There are other variants of the car that come with the manual gearbox. The CVT mode is fitted to the car so that it can alleviate the acceleration noise that is usually emitted by transmissions in four-cylinder models. The Intelligent All-Wheel Drive (I-AWD), a patent of Suzuki, is a standard component in the Crossover. The SportBack, and the entry-level sedan, on the other hand, had a simpler front-wheel drive.

Maneuverability and handling of the Crossover is impressive all across the lineup. The car has good outward visibility and is therefore, very easy to park. The Environmental Protection Agency pegged the ratings at 25/32 mpg city /highway for the car. This is perhaps one area where the vehicle is lacking.

The front seats of the Suzuki SX4 Crossover are better than the typical budget car’s. The rear seats have a less claustrophobic feeling and more legroom. There is an impressive amount of cargo space in the Crossover. If you do not plan to accommodate any passengers in the rear seats, you can fold the seats up and free up more space for your belongings. The ride quality of the car is comfortable and impressive. Road noise and wind noise are miniscule. The engine, however, is not very responsive at high revs.

Safety ratings of the Suzuki SX4 Crossover weren’t particularly impressive, as the company mostly focused on delivering the most value to consumers. In 2012, the Crossover had an upgrade to all-wheel disc brakes. All variants of the car were fitted with a voice recognition system and Garmin navigation. There’s also the Technology package, optional of course, which included the Google search functions as well as real-time updates on the weather and traffic.

Suzuki SX4 Crossover Evolution

Although the original Suzuki SX4 was introduced in 2007, the hatchback version, known as the Crossover, wasn’t unveiled before 2009. Earlier, the car was available with all-wheel drive only. In 2009, the Crossover featured front-wheel drive, and a split-folding backseat. The car was equipped with a standard navigation system in its upper trim levels.

In 2010, Suzuki introduced another version of the Crossover, christened as the SX4 SportBack. The power of the car was marginally increased to 150 horsepower from 143 horsepower. A six-speed manual transmission and a continuously variable transmission were introduced to replace the earlier four-speed automatic and the five-speed manual transmission. This vastly improved the fuel efficiency of the vehicle.

Other notable additions to the car included new gauges, a restyled and redesigned front fascia, auxiliary audio jack, height adjustable driver seat and some new navigation features. A few trim levels of the Suzuki SX4 Crossover were also introduced in 2010.